Two GOP lawmakers drop election bids

After 26 years in office, Ayres won't run again.

After 26 years in office, Ayres won't run again.

July 18, 2006|MARTIN DeAGOSTINO Tribune Staff Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Republicans are scrambling to find replacement candidates for two House lawmakers who dropped their re-election bids for personal reasons on Monday. Reps. Ralph Ayres of Chesterton and Andy Thomas of Brazil withdrew formally from the election on Monday, the deadline to withdraw for reasons other than death or disqualification. Ayres, 57, has represented Porter County and other northwest Indiana communities since 1980. The retired high school teacher said in a statement that he wanted to pursue other opportunities. Thomas, a lawyer who was elected in 2002, cited unspecified family reasons for his withdrawal. They will be replaced on the ballot by precinct committeemen from the lawmakers' respective districts, who must caucus for that purpose within 30 days. Party leaders had little notice of either man's intentions. Mike Gentry, executive director of the House Republican campaign committee, said he learned over the weekend of Thomas' plans, but did not learn of Ayres' intentions until Monday. But Gentry expressed confidence that district caucuses will identify candidates who can overcome the handicap of late entry in their respective races. "It gets the startup time very short for a campaign," he said. For their part, Democrats see opportunities to run in open seats instead of against incumbents. But their candidates in both districts got late starts, too, as both were slated after the May primary election. "Any time you have two additional open seats, you have opportunities," said Tim Jeffers of the House Democratic campaign committee. Sylvia M. Graham, a registered nurse from Valparaiso, is the Democratic candidate seeking to replace Ayres. Both campaign directors cited voting figures to support their optimism. Gentry said President Bush carried Ayres' district with 59 percent of the vote in 2004 and 67 percent in Thomas' district. But Jeffers noted that a Democratic lawmaker had held Thomas' seat since 1990, before retiring, and that former Democratic Gov. Joe Kernan took 47 percent of the votes in Ayres' district in 2004. Ayres' withdrawal marks the second departure this year of a longtime Republican lawmaker from northwest Indiana. Rep. Mary Kay Budak, R- LaPorte, entered the legislature the same year as Ayres, but she lost a re-election bid in the May primary. Both were considered moderate Republicans, even as their caucus moved rightward. Yet Ayres rose through the ranks to become vice chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, where he cast reliable party votes on tax and budget issues.Staff writer Martin DeAgostino: mdeagostino@sbtinfo.com (317) 634-1707